Container and partition therefor



Aug. 15, 1939. G. A. COPELAND CONTAINER AND PARTITION THEREFOR Filed May12, 1937 R Y m m WM 0 a flu m Patented Aug. 15, 1939 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFlCE 19 Claims.

This invention relates to novel drawers, boxes, containers and the likeand to an efficient, inexpensive and readily adjustable follower orpartition to be used in combination therewith.

While drawers or containers for use in filing cabinets have been made offiber board, no adjustable followers or partitions of simple,inexpensive construction have been available for use therein.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a novelfiber-board drawer construction and a simple inexpensive follower orpartition made of corrugated fiber board for use therewith.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from thedetailed description and claims when taken with the drawing in whichFig. 1 is a perspective view of a corrugated board filing drawer with aportion of one of its side walls broken away to show its novel follower,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a partially folded blank from which the drawerillustrated in Fig. 1 can be made.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective View of a modified adjustablefollower, with a portion of the tape broken away.

Fig. 3a is a plan view of the follower illustrated in Fig. 3 showing thesame in folded condition for adjustment along a drawer.

Fig. 4 is a section taken through the side of the drawer on line 44 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 2 showing in dotted linesthe manner of completing the side Wall of the drawer.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section through a modified corrugated boarddrawer for a filing cabinet or the like.

Fig. 7 is a sectional plan view taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 6 andillustrating by dotted lines one manner of adjusting the partition to aselected position in the drawer.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective View of the side wall of a modifieddrawer or container construction similar to that shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

Fig. 9 is a section through the side wall of a modified drawer orcontainer of Fig. 8 prior to folding the guide strip thereof into finalposition, the final position of the guide strip being illustrated bydotted lines in this figure.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a portion of a still further modifiedtype of side wall for a drawer or container.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 to 5 which illustrate a specificembodiment of applicants invention, there is shown a filing cabinetdrawer I made of double faced corrugated fiber board, the inner surfaceof the side walls of the drawer having portions of the corrugationsthereof exposed. By double-faced corrugated board is meant that type offiber board which has a facing or lining of smooth paper on each surfaceof the corrugated paper. This drawer may be assembled from a blank 2illustrated in Fig. 2 in partially folded condition. The blank 2 wasoriginally rectangular having slits or cuts ex- 1 tending inwardly fromthe side edges to provide the side portions 3 and 4 and the end flaps 5and 6, the end flaps 5 and 6 having been folded in wardly to overlierespectively the rear and front drawer ends I and 8 as shown in Fig. 2.The end flaps and drawer ends are retained in such folded condition bymeans of a channel-shaped metal border 9 to provide end walls ofmultiple layers. Reference character [0 indicates exposed corrugationson the inner surface of the drawer sides 3 and 4, which exposedcorrugations terminate a short distance below the upper edge of the sidewalls of the completed drawer so that the upper inside margin l6 of eachside wall is rela-' tively smooth. Thus the exposed corrugations l0extend vertically along a portion of the side walls to retain thefollowers to be later described, in adjusted position while theremaining surface or margin I6 developed by the facing or lining l1, mayserve as a guide to prevent the ends of filing cards or the like fromseating or lodging in the flutes of the corrugations Hi.

In completing the drawer, the side portions 3 and 4 are folded inwardlyalong the score lines I! in the manner shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and arethen folded again along the score lines l2 to bring the side walls 13 atright angles to the bottom [4. The drawer ends 1 and 8 are then foldedalong score lines l5. Thereafter, the abutting ends of the side wallsand end sections are suitably secured together in any convenient mannerto complete the drawer. For example, the completed drawer may beretained in assembled condition in the manner disclosed in the copendingapplication of E. S. Roscoe, Serial No. 83,707, filed June 5, 1936 nowPatent No. 2,129,965, granted September 13, 1937.

An adjustable partition or follower I8 is provided for use in thedrawer. This follower is made of corrugated fiber board comprising corrugated paper with a liner glued to each surface. The flutes of thecorrugated paper preferably extend lengthwise or horizontally of thefollower for greater strength so that the follower will not buckle ifthe side walls of the drawer are accidentally compressed. The follower,which has integral end extensions 23 formed thereon by folding thefollower blank along lines 22, is completed by securing to the outersurface of each end extension 23 the liner of a piece IQ of singlefacedcorrugated fiber board. The flutes of the pieces l9 extend vertically sothat they may be interlocked with the corrugations II] on the innersurface of the side walls of the drawer. It will be noted that thepieces l9 do notextend tothe top of the end extensions, and therebyprovide clearance for the guide i6 of the drawer. By single-facedcorrugated fiber board is meant that type of fiber board which has afacing or liner of smooth paper on only one surface of its corrugatedpaper.

The follower i8 is adapted to be placed in the drawer shown in Fig. 1with its projecting ends 23 extending toward the rear end 8 of thedrawer and with the exposed corrugations on the pieces l9 interlockedwith the exposed corrugations H) of the side walls of the drawer tomaintain the follower in adjusted position. By bending the endextensions 23 of the follower toward each other, so that the exposedcorrugations on the pieces l9 will be disengaged from the corrugationsH) on the inner surface of the drawer sides, the follower may beadjusted along the drawer to any selected position and then by releasingthe end extensions 23, the resiliency of the paper at the folds 22 willcause the end extensions to resume a position in which the corrugationsthereof reengage the corrugations Ill.

In Figs. 3 and 3a there is shown a modified and preferred form ofpartition or follower H! which is rectangular in form. This follower [8'has all of the elements of the follower [8, that is, the front orfollower wall proper, the end extensions 23' formed by folding thefollower blank along lines 22, and the single-faced corrugated fiberboard pieces l9, secured to the outer surfaces of the end extensions 23for engagement with the exposed corrugations IU of the drawer. Inaddition the end extensions are provided with integral flaps whichoverlap each other to complete the rectangular form of the follower.These flaps are integral with the end extensions 23, being formed byfolding the follower blank along the lines 22". The flap extends thefull length of the follower with its free end abutting the adjacent endextension 23', so that the follower cannot be accidentally collapsed bya force applied against the end extensions 23'. The flap 2| isapproximately half as long as the extension 20 and has its free endhingedly secured to the extension 20 by means of the cloth tape 24. Thefollower l8 may be adjusted along the drawer or removed therefrom byapplying a force in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3a tomove the extensions 20, 2| and 23' inwardly, as shown in Fig. 3a, todisengage the corrugations l9 from the corrugations ill of the drawer.When the mentioned force is removed, the follower, due to the resiliencyof the paper at the several folds, will again resume its normalcondition shown in Fig. 3 and the dotted line position in Fig. 3a.

It should be understood that the followers may be constructed in variousways, such as by using double-faced corrugated board in which the flutesthereof extend vertically. but with a portion of the liner or facing onthe outer surface of the end extensions omitted, the only requirementbeing that vertical corrugations should be exposed on the outer surfaceof the end extensions so that they may engage the corrugations of theside walls of the container with which the follower cooperates.

If desired, applicant may provide exposed cor-- rugations on the bottomwall of a drawer or container 25 as shown in Figs. 6 and '7. This drawercomprises a bottom wall 25 and side walls 21 having corrugations exposedat 28 in the side walls and at 29 in the bottom wall. The corrugations29 have been exposed by omitting a portion of the liner 30. The liner 30may serve as a guide to prevent cards or the like from seating orlodging in the flutes of the corrugations. A guide strip 3| is shownapplied to each of the upper margins of the side walls.

In the modification shown in Figs. 6 and '7, applicant has alsoillustrated a modified type of partition 01' follower which comprises arelatively stiif card or board 32 which may be flexed as shown in dottedlines in Fig. '7 to have its ends seated in selected flutes orcorrugations 28, while the projecting tab 33 at the bottom of thepartition seats in an alined flute of the corrugations 29. The partitionmay be notched as at 34 to clear the guide strip 3|.

While the drawers have been described and illustrated as being made ofdouble-faced corrugated board, it will be understood that otherconstructions may be used if desired. As shown in Figs. 8 and 9 asingle-faced corrugated board 35 may be used in which an extension 36 ofthe liner or facing is folded over and glued to the upper portion of theexposed corrugations 3'! to provide a smooth guide strip 38 along theupper margin of the side wall of the box or drawer.

In Fig. 10 a further modification of a drawer side is illustratedwherein single-faced corrugated board 39 has its liner or facing member40 cemented or otherwise secured to a wood or fiber board 4|. The guidestrip in this instance is formed by cementing or suitably securing anarrow strip of paper or the like 42 to the upper margin of thecorrugated board 39.

It should be understood that the present invention is not limited tousing a single guide strip on each side wall of the container, asseveral guide strips may be used if desired, for example, one at the topand one at the bottom of the side wall or a single guide strip extendingcentrally of the wall may be used, the only requirements being that aportion of the corrugated paper be exposed for engagement with similarlyplaced corrugations on the follower.

The construction herein disclosed provides an inexpensive and simplefiling cabinet drawer with a readily adjustable partition or follower,altho it should be understood that the invention. is not limited tofiling cabinet drawers, but may be used in any container or receptaclewhich it is desired to divide into compartments.

What I claim is:

1. A container comprising opposed walls, having corrugated paperdefining a portion of the inner surface of each of said walls, ahorizontally extending guide on the inner stuface of each of said walls,said guides projecting inwardly beyond said corrugated paper.

2. In a container having bottom, side and end walls, a portion of theinner surface of said bottom having exposed horizontally extendingflutes and the inner surfaces of said side walls having exposedvertically extending flutes thereon formed of corrugated paper, andhorizontally extending guides on the inner surfaces of said bottom andside walls adjacent said exposed flutes, said guides projecting inwardlybeyond said fiutes.

3. A container comprising opposed walls, having corrugated paperdefining a portion of the inner surface of each of said walls, ahorizontally extending guide on the inner surface of each of said walls,said guides projecting inwardly beyond said corrugated paper, apartition adapted to extend between said walls and having end portionsbent at an angle to the body thereof, said end portions each having acorrugated outer surface for detachably engaging selected corrugationsof the corrugated paper.

4. A container comprising opposed walls, having inwardly facing exposedportions of corrugated paper with vertically extending flutes, and afollower extending between said opposed walls, and having end extensionscomprising exposed portions of corrugated paper also provided withvertically extending flutes adapted to be detachably and selectivelyinterlocked with the flutes in the corrugated paper on said walls.

5. A container having bottom, side and end walls made of fiber board, aportion of the inner surface of said side walls having exposedvertically extending flutes thereon formed of corrugated paper, apartition made of corrugated fiber board and provided with integral endextensions having exposed vertically extending corrugations forming apart thereof adapted to seat in certain of the exposed flutes on theside walls of the container.

6. A container having bottom, side and end Walls made of corrugatedfiber board, the inner surface of said side walls having the linerthereof omitted to expose vertically extending flutes of the corrugatedpaper of which the fiber board is formed, a corrugated fiber boardpartition provided with integral end extensions having a portion of thecorrugations of the board exposed to provide vertically extending flutesadapted to seat in certain of said exposed flutes on the side walls ofthe container.

'7. A container, having a bottom, sides and ends formed from fiberboard, said fiber board comprising corrugated paper and a liner attachedto each surface thereof, said sides having the liner on portions oftheir inner surfaces omitted to expose the corrugated paper with theflutes thereof extending vertically, a follower having end portions bentat right angles to the body thereof, said end portions having verticallyextending flutes to engage the flutes in said sides.

8. A container having a bottom, sides and ends formed from fiber board,said fiber board comprising corrugated paper and a liner attachedthereto, said sides having a portion of the corrugated paper on theirinner surfaces exposed with the flutes thereof extending vertically, astrip attached to the inner upper margin of each side and being of athickness to project inwardly beyond said sides, a follower made offiber board having end portions having vertically extending flutes toengage the exposed flutes in said sides.

9. A container having a bottom, sides and ends formed from fiber board,said fiber board comprising corrugated paper and a liner attachedthereto, said sides having the corrugated paper on their inner surfaceswith the flutes thereof extending vertically, a follower having endportions bent at right angles to the body thereof, said end portionshaving vertically extending flutes to engage the flutes in said sides.

10. A container having a bottom, sides and ends formed from fiber board,said sides having the corrugated paper on their inner surfaces with theflutes thereof extending vertically, and a horizontal guide stripco-extensive with and attached to the major portion of the length of theinner surface of each side of said container tending to prevent materialfiled in said container from lodging in said flutes.

11. A container comprising a bottom wall, side and end walls, a portionof the inner surface of said side walls having exposed verticallyextending flutes thereon formed of corrrugated paper, another portion ofthe inner surface of said side walls projecting inwardly beyond saidcorrugated paper to serve as a guide.

12. An adjustable partition for use in a container having exposedcorrugated paper on the inner surface of a pair of its opposed walls,said partition comprising, a main body portion folded to provide endextensions flexibly connected to said main body portion, said extensionshaving exposed corrugated paper thereon to engage the corrugated paperof said walls.

13. A follower comprising a main body portion and extensions flexiblyconnected to said body portion, said extensions including corrugatedpaper to define a vertically fluted outer surface on each extension.

14. A container having a bottom, side and end walls formed from a blankof corrugated fiber board, said board comprising corrugated paper havinga liner attached to each of its surfaces, a portion of the liner on theinner surface of said side walls being omitted to expose the verticallyextending flutes thereof, the remaining portion. of the liner on saidinner surface providing a guide for the contents of said container toprevent the same from engaging the flutes.

15. An adjustable partition comprising a main body portion folded toprovide a front wall, end walls and a rear wall, vertically extendingflutes formed of corrugated paper on said end walls, said rear wallbeing collapsible to move the end walls inwardly toward the front wall.

16. An adjustable partition having a, front wall, end Walls and a rearwall, said rear wall comprising flaps integral with said end walls,hingedly connected together at an intermediate part of said rear Walland disposed in overlapping relation, and exposed, vertically extendingcorrugations forming a part of the end walls.

1'7. An adjustable partition having a front wall, end walls and a rearwall, said rear wall comprising flaps integral with said end walls, oneof said flaps extending the full length of the rear wall, the other flapoverlapping a portion of said first mentioned flap, and exposedvertically extending corrugations forming a part of the end walls.

18. An adjustable partition having a front wall, end walls and a rearwall, said rear wall comprising flaps integral with said end walls, oneof said flaps extending the full length of the rear wall, the other flapoverlapping a portion. of said first mentioned flap and being hingedlysecured thereto, and exposed vertically extending corru gations forminga part of the end walls.

19. A container formed from a folded blank of fiber board comprisingcorrugated paper with a liner covering at least the outer surface ofsaid paper, and having opposed walls, the flutes of said corrugatedpaper on at least a portion of the inner surfaces of said opposed wallsbeing exposed, and a partition adapted to extend between said Walls,said partition having end portions each provided with a corrugatedsurface for detachably engaging selected flutes of said corrugatedpaper.

' GEORGE A. COPELAND.

